Side entrance fastener which on closing gives an audible click and locks



Dec. 19, 1967 M. A. STREHLEIN 3,358,339

SIDE ENTRANCE FASTENER WHICH ON CLOSING GIVES AN AUDIBLE CLICK AND LOCKS Filed oct. 4, 1965 United States Patent O 3,358,339 SIDE ENTRANCE FASTENER WHICH N CLOSING GIVES AN AUDIBLE CLICK AND LOCKS Mary A. Strehlein, 7460 N. Greenview, Chicago, Ill. 60626 Filed Oct. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 492,535 4 Claims. (Cl. 24-224) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLDSURE This invention relates to fasteners and more particularly .Y

to fasteners for detachably securing two portions of garments together.

This invention relates to the type of fasteners disclosed in my U.S. Patent No. 2,986,791, issued lune 6, 1961, and entitled, Fastener, and is designed to provide a new and improved fastener of the type described which includes a stud-equipped member detachably engageable with a spring latch-equipped member having guide portions thereon for directing the stud to a latched position. The stud member and latch member, as disclosed in the above named patent, are commonly attached to garment portions by sewing the back sides of each member to overlapped portions of a garment. As with any buckle, button, clasp or garment fastener which must be sewed to portions of a garment, the attaching threads frequently become torn or unraveled, causing the fastener to be lost or disengaged from the garment. Prior art teaches that a prong ring or grommet member can be used with snap type fasteners in order to eliminate the necessity of sewing the fasteners to their respective garment portions. It would be desirable to use the grommet or prong ring with the spring latch type fastener, but it has been found that the wire like spring means of such fasteners blocks suicient deformation of the prongs when forced into engagement with the spring latch member. Sufcient resiliency must also be maintained in the wire like spring means. A second disadvantage found inherent in the present spring fasteners is the fact that the stud-equipped member, which is releasably inserted into the mouth in the latch-equipped member, lies in contact with that portion of the garment attached to the back side of the latch-equipped member. Thus, upon reciprorcating movement of the stud into and out of the mouth, a hole or tear usually is caused in the garment due to this movement of the stud portion against the garment. This invention is directed to an improved spring-latch fastener having means to solve these problems.

Thus a principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improved fastener for detachably securing two portions of garments together.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved fastener of the type described which hasv a new and improved spring means.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved fastener of the type described which has improved means for protecting the spring and maintaining the spring suiciently encased so as to minimize the possibility of damaging portions of the material being fastened.

3,358,339 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved fastener of the type described having means for positively fastening the two mating portions thereof so that unfastening may be accomplished only by reverse sliding of the mating members, and so that the relative movement between the mating members `causes no appreciable damage to the garments attached thereto.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and improved fastener of the type described which is adapted to coact with a prong ring or grommet member to secure each of the mating members to their respective garment portions.

More particularly, this invention relates to a new and improved fastener including a stud-equipped member releasably insertable into a mouth in a spring-latch-equipped member and positively held therein by the body of the member so that the stud-equipped member may be moved from the latch-equipped member only by reverse sliding out of the mouth, and wherein the latch-equipped member is provided with springs partially abridging the mouth to retain the stud-equipped member against accidental dislodgement except by reverse sliding past the springs, and wherein the springs overlap the top surface of the springlatch member and are seated in an annular groove on the `upper side in said member away from the garment portion and wherein said spring-equipped member is secured to its respective garment portion by the use of a prong ring or grommet member.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of this invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is an enlarged top plan View of the latchequipped member having the wire like spring means embedded therein; Y

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the prong ring or grommet member;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the prong ring member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a central sectional view showing the prong ring securing a portion of a garment to the back side of the stud-equipped member;

FIG. 5 is a central sectional view showing the prong ring securing a portion of a garment to the back side of the spring-latch-equipped member;

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken generally along the line 6 6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a central sectional view illustrating the cornplete fastener of this invention as comprising two mating members secured to two portions of a garment by two prong rings.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as Ian exemplication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims. 1

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings as comprising a spring-latchequipped member generally designated 10, a mating studequipped member generally designated 11, and a prong ring or grommet member 12 for detachably securing the mating members to two portions of garments, generally designated C, so that the two mating members in conjunction with two grommet members form the complete fastener of this invention as illustrated in FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 illustrates that the spring-latch-equipped member 10 is preferably `formed of a generally flat sheet metal maa terial and includes a body 15 and an upstanding generally cylindrical hollow cent-ral boss 16 having an outer annular w-all 16a which is substantially closed at its upper end by a generally lcircular fiat end wall 1Gb. The body 15 is provided with a crowned outer face 15a and a downwardly and inwardly curved peripheral ange portion 15b. In cross section, FIGS. 5 and 7, the body 15 is formed of a generally annular S-shaped configura- Vtion extending laterally away from the boss 16 whereby the inner end of the annular S-shape forms a downwardly and outwardly curved extension of the outer wall 16a of the boss and whereby the outer end of the annular S-shape forms the outer downwardly and inwardly extending hooked portion or peripheral flange 15b. This general S-shaped cross sectional conguration facilitates an outer annular recess 18 on the underside of the body 15 Within the hooked portion 15b and an inner annular recess 19 on the upper side of the body about the boss 16- A generally pie-shaped mouth 22, FIG. 1, extends laterally from the center of the upwardly extending boss 16 Yto one edge of the body 15.

The latch member is provided with a latch spring ,means 23 preferably formed of spring tempered wire or hooked portion 27 about its circular :outer periphery. The Y stud-equipped fastener 11 forms a mating member for rthe latch-equipped fastener member 10.

In operation, the fastener is manipulated to a fastening condition as shown in FIGS. 4 yand 5 so that the.

stud portion 25 of member 11 and boss 16 of member 10 are facing each other. The stud-equipped member is then positioned such that the stud portion 25 is adjacent the entrance to the mouth 22 of member 10. The only motion necessary to latch the mating fastener parts tol gether is a relative lateral motion between the fastener bodies in parallel planes so that the stud 25 laterally deflects the inwardly directed hooked portions 23b of the spring as the stud pushes past the resiliently deflectable hooked portions. Continued lateral movement in the `aforesaid direction permits the stud to come to rest in a position at the center of the upwardly extending boss 16.

VThe wall of the stud, shown as 28 in FIG. 7, abuts the Vinner edge of the aperture 29, FIG. l, formed in the at end wall 16h of the boss 16. The stud is securely held against parting movement in the direction of the Y arrow B in FIG. 7, within the boss since the inclined wall 28 of the stud leads to an end wall 30 on the stud too large to pass out of the aperture 29 in the boss 16.

'Moreoven by providing the upwardly extending shank portion or boss 16 of proper proportions relative to the length of the stud, an improved enclosure may be provided for the stud 25 in order to maintain the end wall 30 ofthe stud spaced from the cloth C to prevent tearing of the cloth or wearing -a hole in the cloth during normal wear of the garment. Usually present stresses from the cloth to the fastener parts urge the latter apart in the direction of the arrow B. The stud may be removed from the latch member simply by reverse sliding the stud out of the mouth past the resiliently deflectable spring means, but the stud is sufficiently protected against accidental dislodgement past the spring portions 23b. Since the mouth is pie-shaped, the lateral motion of the stud need not be precisely directed by the wearer of the garment when the two fastener parts are latched together. As seen in FIG. 1, the stud will actually be guided by the intermediate hooked portions 23b of the spring on the studs lateral movement toward the central aperture 29 in the end Wall 16b of the upwardly extending boss V16. Since the end wall 30 of the stud is preferably spaced from the cloth C when in its latched position as seen in FIG. 7, a slight curve motion generally in the direction of arrow c in FIG. 7 is necessary for the stud to become completely seated within the upwardly extending boss. Obviously this curved motion would be unnecessary should the stud 25 be longer in an alternate embodiment, but a longer stud would engage the cloth C on lateral back and forth motion.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, a prong ring or grommet member 12 is employed to secure each of the mating fastener parts to their respective garment portions C. The prong ring in the embodiment shown comprises a circular ring portion 313 having a plurality of garment piercing prongs 34 extending at right angles away from its inner edge 35. In order to secure each of the fastener means to its respective garment portion, the prong ring is positioned on the opposite sides of the respective cloth portions as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 and is forcibly pressed, as by a plyers or other standard household tool, lthrough the cloth into abutment with the body portions 26 and 15 of the stud-equipped member and latch-equipped member respectively. The underside of the curved peripheral flanges or hooked portions on each of the mating mem-bers cooperates with the adjacent body portions of the respective members to provide camming surfaces to facilitate deformation of the garment piercing prongs. Suiiicient pressure on the prong ring will cause the prongs to deform by a camming action against the hooked portions, causing the prongs to be deflected outwardly into the hooked portions into engagement with lthe arcuate supporting portion 23a of the spring means and the periphery of the body to secure the same together.

As seen in FIG. 5, the unique configuration of the Ibody portion 15 of the latch-equipped member not only provides a suiciently curved camming surface for the prongs, but it provides a suicient recess 1-8 to accommodate -both the wire spring means and the prongs which have .been deflected into the recess against the wire. This unique configuration with its inner annular recess 19 on the upperside of the body permits the arcuate end portions 23c of the spring means to be positioned on top of the body 1-5 spaced from Ithe attached garment portion, thus avoiding undesirable protrusions on the lower surface of the body which may tear a garment. The spring end portions are therefore aslo unobstructed in the recess 19. As seen in FIG. l, the kends of the arcuately shaped end portions are spaced apart as at 40 to provide sutlicient give when the stud is forced through the intermediate hooked portions 23b of the wire causing these intermediate portions to -be laterally displaced. As seen in FIG. 5, the novel configuration of the wire spring of this invention is provided while maintaining all portions of the wire in the same plane. This is facilitated by the S-shaped configuration of the body portion 15 of the spring latch-equipped member which disposes the inner and outer recesses 18 and 19 respectively in the same plane.

In manufacture, it is contemplated that the metal fastener parts such as the latch member 10 and the spring means 23 of wire stock would be formed separately and then brought together in the manner illustrated in the drawings by assembly. The fastener parts and wire spring may be formed by known machinery and procedures. The fact that the spring in the assembly lies on opposite sides of the sheet metal of the fastener part is accomplished in assem-bly by appropriate springing and movement of parts of the wire spring to permit positioning of the spring wire on the fastener into the position shown, for example, in FIGS. l, 5 and 6. The spring may be tilted at the curved portions 23h to allow the upper portions 23e of the wire spring to rest on top of the fastener body while the lower portions 23a of the wire spring engage the underside of the fastener body. Such l'tilting of the spring may occur during assembly.

Thus it can be seen that I have provided a new and improved fastener means which is comprised of mating fastener members of the spring-latch type having an improved spring means to enable the attachment of the mating members to their respective garment portions by the use of a prong ring or grommet member, while also providing means for retaining the stud portion of such fasteners in a spaced relation away from the garment to prevent tearing or unnecessary wear on the garment.

I claim:

1. A fastener for detachably securing two portions of garments together, comprising in combination: a latchequipped member attachable to one garment portion and having a generally circular body portion and an upstanding generally cylindrical hollow boss having an outer annular wall and an upper end wall, said body portion having an annular generally S-shaped configuration eX- tending laterally away from said boss whereby the inner end of said annular S-shape forms a downwardly and outwardly curved extension of the outer wall of said boss and whereby the outer end of said S-shape comprises an outer downwardly and inwardly extending hooked portion about the outer periphery of said body portion to form an outer subjacent annular recess within said hooked portion on the underside of said body and an inner annular recess adjacent to and about said boss on the upperside of said body, said latch-equipped member also having a mouth opening laterally from the center of the end wall of said boss to one edge of said body; a stud-equipped member attachable to the other garment portion and having a generally circular body portion and an upstanding stud laterally insertable into said mouth on relative lateral motion of the two members in parallel planes to a position wherein said stud seats securely within said boss; and a wire like spring means on, and constituting the latch of, said latch-equipped member and having an arcuately shaped supporting portion seated in said outer annular recess formed on the underside of said latch-equipped member, inwardly directed hooked portions at said mouth removably blocking lateral passage of said stud through the mouth to releasably retain the stud against lateral movement out of said mouth and resiliently deectable by the stud to permit lateral insertion and removal thereof, and inner arcuately shaped end portions seated in said inner annular recess about said upstanding boss.

2. yThe fastener of claim 1 wherein the outer subjacent annular recess within the hooked portion on the underside of said latch-equipped member and the inner annular recess adjacent to and about said boss on the upper side of said latch-equipped member are disposed in the same plane.

3. The fastener of claim 2 wherein all portions of said Wire like spring latch are disposed in the single plane formed by said inner and outer annular recesses.

4. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the undersurface of the outer downwardly and inwardly extending hooked portion about the outer periphery of said body portion provides camming surfaces for cooperating with means for fastening the latch-equipped member to a garment portion or the like, and including a grommet means having a plurality of garment piercing prongs spaced apart in position to engage said camming surfaces when opposite said fastener body so that pressing the grommet means and body toward each other with said garment portion therebetween serves to dellect said prongs outwardly into said annular recess within said hooked portion on the underside of said latch-equipped member into engagement with the supporting portion of said wirelike spring and the underside of said hooked portion to secure the same together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,626,442 1/1953 yBlaZej 24-21'8 2,986,791 6/ 1961 Strehlein 24-222 FOREIGN PATENTS 336,606 5/ 1921 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FASTENER FOR DETACHABLY SECURING TWO PORTIONS OF GARMENTS TOGETHER, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A LATCHEQUIPPED MEMBER ATTACHABLE TO ONE GARMENT PORTION AND HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR BODY PORTION AND AN UPSTANING GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW BOSS HAVING AN OUTER ANNULAR WALL AND AN UPPER WALL, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING AN ANNULAR GENERALLY S-SHAPED CONFIGURATION EXTENDING LATERALLY AWAY FROM SAID BOSS WHEREBY THE INNER END OF SAID ANNULAR S-SHAPED FORMS A DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY CURVED EXTENDION OF THE OUTER WALL OF SAID BOSS AND WHEREBY THE OUTER END OF SAID S-SHAPE COMPRISES AN OUTER DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY EXTENDING HOOKED PORTION ABOUT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID BODY PORTION TO FORM AN OUTER SUBJACENT ANNULAR RECESS WITHIN SAID HOOKED PORTION ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BODY AND AN INNER ANNULAR RECESS ADJACENT TO AND ABOUT SAID BOSS ON THE UPPERSIDE OF SAID BODY, SAID LATCH-EQUIPPED MEMBER ALSO HAVING A MOUTH OPENING LATERALLY FROM THE CENTER OF THE END WALL OF SAID BOSS TO ONE EDGE OF SAID BODY; A STUD-EQUIPPED MEMBER ATTACHABLE TO THE OTHER GARMENT PORTION AND HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR BODY PORTION AND AN UPSTANDING STUD LATERALLY INSERTABLY INTO SAID MOUTH ON RELATIVE LATERAL MOTION OF THE TWO MEMBERS IN PARALLEL PLANES TO A POSITION WHEREIN SAID STUD SEATS SECURELY WITHIN SAID BOSS; AND A WIRE LIKE SPRING MEANS ON, AND CONSTITUTING THE LATCH OF, SAID LATCH-EQUIPPED MEMBER AND HAVING AN ARCUATELY SHAPED SUPPORTING PORTION SEATED IN SAID OUTER ANNULAR RECESS FORMED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID LATCH-EQUIPPED MEMBER, INWARDLY DIRECTED HOOKED PORTION AT SAID MOUTH REMOVABLY BLOCKING LATERAL PASSAGE OF SAID STUF THROUGH THE MOUTH TO RELEASABLY RETAIN THE STUD AGAINST LATERAL MOVEMENT OUT OF SAID MOUTH AND RESILIENTLY DEFLECTABLE BY THE STUD TO PERMIT LATERAL INSERTIN AND REMOVAL THEREOF, AND INNER ARCUATELY SHAPED END PORTIONS SEATED IN SAID INNER ANNULAR RECESS ABOUT SAID UPSTANDING BOSS. 